August 10, 2026 // Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 Reflect on the Word // This past year, I have learned a lot about giving directly from the eagerly raised hands of elementary school children. There is something pure about their willingness to serve, as if it is a coat of honor that God Himself helps them shrug on at the start of every school day. As a student teacher, I would receive drawings everyday, each scrawled with kind words, and when I dropped a box of pencils or a pile of papers, students from the back of the classroom would scurry forward to help tidy up. When I looked up to say thank you, I always knew I would find them already back at their desks, eyes squinted on their paper, pencil in hand, and a faint smile tugging at their lips. In today’s First Reading, Paul states that “God loves a cheerful giver,” and that “in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). We often think we need more in order to give more, but this is far from the truth. The Lord gives to us in abundance, as sure as the dew on the grass each morning. The world teaches us to focus on our lack instead of our abundance, but as long as we cling to our checkbooks and claim we are short on time, we will hesitate to step into the life that God has blessed and ordained for us—one of service to others. Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (whose feast we celebrate today) believed this so much so that when asked to present the wealth of the Church to the pagan prefect of Rome, he presented the poor and sick, claiming, “These are the treasures of the Church” (Saint Ambrose, On the Duties of the Clergy, XXVIII.140). Next time we find ourselves holding on to that skirt we never wear, hesitating to give to our church’s third capital campaign, or claiming we do not have time to drive that friend to the airport, let us refocus on what truly matters: blessing others. Relate to the Lord // Take some time to reflect on the Lord’s abundant generosity to you today. Make a list and thank Him!

July 24, 2026 // Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:18–23   It was the day before Valentine’s Day, and my friends and I gathered in one of their warmly lit  kitchens, reminiscing over unwrapped chocolates and fizzing sodas. We started to clean up our mess, and as I pulled open the trash can drawer, I noticed a single rose lying amongst the colorful wrappers and crumpled paper towels. My friend had received it at a show earlier that day and had deemed it too shriveled to put on display. I was sad to see it lying there all alone, so I took it home and placed it in a vase with another bouquet, flower food, and water.  It seemed to draw new strength and life from the surrounding flowers and nourishing food, because the next morning, the bud had reopened to reveal a lush, silken flower. Where we place flowers matters, but where we place ourselves matters even more. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower, warning His disciples that where the seed lands determines whether fruit will be borne or squandered: “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:23).  Hearing Scripture is one thing, but to accept it and integrate it into our lives is something else entirely. God has left us Scripture as both a love letter and guide for our lives, but it is not meant to be left on the pages. It is meant to be ever on our lips, evident in our actions, and recited in our thoughts as readily as we recite song lyrics.  Today, as we sit down with our morning coffees and open our dog-eared devotionals, let us remember to place ourselves in the midst of God’s Word. We are not passive readers, but active receivers of Scripture who hear our Lord’s commands and set out at once to do His will. Relate to the Lord // What word or phrase spoke to you from today’s Mass readings? Meditate on it throughout the day.

June 12, 2026 // Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Second Reading: 1 John 4:7–16 Reflect on the Word //  I stepped out onto the back deck as afternoon sunshine glinted off the gently lapping water and lingering laughter drifted away on the fleeting breeze. It felt good to stretch my legs and breathe in fresh air after hours in the car. What struck me most, though, was the sense of familiarity I felt as friends welcomed me to the sound of boat motors roaring in the distance. I hadn’t grown up going to this lake, or any lake for that matter, but my friends made me feel as though I had lived amongst the Minnesota pines for years. When we first arrive somewhere, we may feel as though we are on the outside of something great. We may peer through the open door and wait to be welcomed in, clinging to any sense of familiarity until we feel at ease again. Some places, however, require no introduction, because the people occupying them already lavish us with reminders of home.  As Catholics, we could live like restless nomads, exploring town after town, and still always find a place to rest our heads. Jesus is present with His Sacred Heart within every tabernacle, from breezy island chapels to bustling city cathedrals, so there is no place we could venture where He would not warmly greet us. “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Jesus does not venture far from His Church. Rather, He waits with great patience to welcome us with open arms, drawing us close to His Sacred Heart and inviting us to remain with Him. We are not strangers in His house, but long-anticipated friends called to make our dwelling with Him. On this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we surrender more fully to the Lord’s ever-present love. May we accept His invitation to make our home with Him, to abide in His peace, and to invite others in through the breezy, open doors. Relate to the Lord // Join us this month as we pray with the In His Heart digital download and rest in the Sacred Heart.

May 19, 2026 // Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Acts 20:17-27  Reflect on the Word //  Dinners with my college roommate are some of my most cherished memories. The two of us shared a cramped, corner apartment with a cracked window and a long hallway trek. Our schedules looked vastly different by day, but by the evening, we both ended up back in our living room, perched on floor cushions and chatting about life. She is not Catholic. So at first, I was tempted to water down stories from Bible study and revelations in prayer. But as time went on, and she began to ask me more questions about my faith, I realized that my friend wanted to know me deeper. She was not shrinking from the truth, but I was. In today’s First Reading, Paul, preparing to depart, boldly addresses the elders of the Church in Ephesus saying, “I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit” (Acts 20:20). Paul, having experienced a life-changing conversion himself, saw people as the Lord sees them—curious and deserving of the Gospel. He relentlessly pursued their hearts and hid nothing from them, because he recognized all that he had been given as a gift to be shared.  At times, our lives with God can become detached from our lives with friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. We say that we are walking with the Lord, but we leave Him at the door of dinner parties, work events, and college classes. Our Lord wants to be invited into these spaces. He wants to know our friends, and their curious hearts crave to know Him. This doesn’t always look like preaching the Gospel from a podium, but it often sounds like sharing encouraging, biblical truths to an anxious friend, or asking a colleague what drives their purpose. You can bring Jesus into fluorescent-lit rooms and crowded restaurants, surfing the natural ebbs and flows of conversation and paying heed to His gentle nudges to share His Word. Our Heavenly Father does not want you to hold back, for He has entrusted much to His humble servant. Relate to the Lord // Where have you been holding back with the Lord or in your life? Talk to Him about it today.

April 24, 2026 // Friday of the Third Week of Easter // Optional Memorial of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Acts 9:1-20 Reflect on the Word // “Take a walk,” spoken in a firm but gentle tone is often the last thing anyone wants to hear in the heat of an argument. I wanted to stay firm in my stance, but the words nudged me onward like a sudden gust of wind, giving me no choice but to move with it. I huffed as I walked, incredulous at the conversation I was just pulled from. I stubbornly laughed at the absurdity of a walk. If I take a lap around the block, won’t I just return bearing the same anger and confusion? What can a walk really do?  As I learned, a walk can do a lot. When our legs begin to move, our blood begins to flow, we feel the breeze through our hair, and we experience movement throughout our body. Movement is a small change, a gentle reminder that if our legs can move, our blood can flow, and our hair can lap in the breeze, then what is stopping our hearts from being moved? In today’s First Reading, Saul left for Damascus, “still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). He was brimming with rage, a mission that pushed every stride, but Jesus fell into step with him on the journey. He appeared to Saul suddenly, saying, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) Jesus didn’t stop Saul from going to Damascus, but He did move Saul’s heart with holy conviction. Saul had embarked on his walk to carry out his own sinful plots, to dig his heels in further, but the Lord, Whose blood he was shedding, delivered a new mission—to proclaim the very One he had set out to persecute. How humble Saul must have been to abandon his quest and admit he was wrong. When we find ourselves angry, whether it be righteously or unrighteously, do we set out to persecute others or to cultivate resolution and peace? Sister, the Lord has fallen into step with you. He does not want you to walk with a hard heart. He wants to give you His. Relate to the Lord // Go for a walk today. Long or short, fast or slow, it will do your heart good.  

March 4, 2026 // Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent // Optional Memorial of Saint Casimir Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28  Reflect on the Word  Birds warbled their same familiar, neighborhood song as my sister and I swung open the squeaky back door, breathless from hours of playing pioneer and picking berries in the yard. Our weekend afternoons often looked like this, our imaginations running wild as we plotted games we could fill our time with. Our mother often called out to us to remind us of our chores, knowing we had likely become lost in our play. My little sister would spring up with delight, as if pulled by the opportunity to help, while I often grumbled under my breath, trudging up the stairs toward the incessantly buzzing washing machine, wondering, Why does she like doing chores? Years later, as I prayed with Jesus’ humble words from today’s Gospel, “[T]he Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27), I realized that Jesus Himself likely split wood with Saint Joseph and heeded His mother’s call around the house. Like any child, the proposition of play constantly tugged at His arm, but Jesus always prioritized obedience. He continued to serve into adolescence and adulthood, washing the feet of His disciples and ever so patiently addressing each of their misunderstandings and doubts. This was His delight. He arose every morning, pulled by the opportunity to help His people whom He had finally drawn so close to, walking amongst them, hearing the echoes of their laughter, and feeling the firm shake of their hands. He served because His Sacred Heart brimmed with love, a love which meant ultimately giving Himself for us entirely in Jerusalem. We may think we are worlds separated from childhood, but as adults, we are not much different. New whims and opportunities tug at our arms daily, but we must not forget the example of our Lord. His kingdom is a different kingdom, one where the King serves His people. Let us become like our King, and willingly drink the chalice of pouring our lives out in love. Relate to the Lord // How can you spring up in obedience to Jesus—to love—today?